Ahti Ikonen is a reliable and popular captain at the height of his career. He is in command of the container ship CV Hannover, which enters the port of Felixstowe (UK) behind schedule due to rough seas. The unloading of the ship commences in haste. The crew, led by the ambitious Romanian officer Katia, works by the piece so that they can sail in time.
Shortly after the departure the Filipino seaman James has an accident. Katia makes a medical misdiagnosis with consequences. Her captain and mentor Ahti has to take the responsibility. In the next port (Antwerp) unionized dockworkers exploit the incident and refuse to unload the ship. Standstill. Ahti is caught between the frontlines. The captain is keen to elucidate the accident, but the situation becomes more and more mysterious…